You can still get reservations at some restaurants for Oaks and Derby nights.

Written by

Teena Hammond Gomez

Special to The Courier-Journal

Chefs, from left, Josh Hillyard, Kevin Rice and Nick Sullivan had a busy day at the James Beard House.

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Spring is in the air, Derby's just around the corner and the race is on -- for restaurant reservations.

Even though the truly prepared diners booked their spots months ago, there are still spots available at many notable Louisville restaurants during the all important Oaks and Derby evenings.

Last-minute reservations can be tough to get, so it pays to be flexible in your dining time. Prime-time spots might be sold out, but if you're willing to dine early (right around the 6:04 p.m. post time), or later (in the 9 p.m. "last seating" zone), you're much more likely to nab a seat at your favorite eatery.

Watch this space for weekly updates as the race approaches.

As of Tuesday, the following restaurants still had dinner tables available after the Kentucky Oaks on May 2 and after the Derby on May 3:

Back to his roots

While Chef Bruce Ucan of the Mayan Cafe and his wife, Christina Shadle, honeymooned recently in Mexico, he spent much of his time digging up new ideas for a new restaurant menu. The duo's trip included a visit to Ucan's hometown of Kantunil, on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

After the trip, Ucan said he's trying to have the menu more reflect the style of the Yucatan's regional cuisine. "We have six kinds of chilies we're using in different sauces on the new menu. We're trying to make it more traditional," Ucan said. He's created a Pipian Rojo sauce from pumpkin seeds, chilies and tomato and serving it on beef. He's also created a range of different salads, such as a cactus tossed with Oaxaca cheese and pomegranate seeds.

The Mayan Cafe is at 813 E. Market St.

A weekday in the country

Thinking about heading to Keeneland for a day at the races? Along the way, you can grab a memorable lunch at the historic Holly Hill Inn in nearby Midway, Ky.

This destination restaurant is normally closed for weekday lunches, but it's open now through May 30 to coincide with Keeneland's spring meet and the increased springtime tourist trade.

Co-owner and chef Ouita Michel serves continental cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal local produce and meats. She's garnered a fair amount of press of late with a semifinalist nod from the James Beard Foundation. Holly Hill Inn is always open on Saturdays and Sundays for brunch. (A three-course lunch is a bargain at $15.)

Holly Hill Inn is at 426 N. Winter St. in Midway.

Cooking for a cause

Jim Gerhardt at Limestone Restaurant will travel to Baltimore on Monday to cook for the 17th Annual Great Chefs' Dinner fundraiser for Family Tree, an organization that works to prevent child abuse. "The chefs who have been there before me are a who's who of the culinary world," Gerhardt said. "Everyone from Larry Forgione at An American Place (New York), Jean-Louis Palladin from Jean-Louis at the Watergate (Washington, D.C.) and Lydia Shire from Biba in Boston." To make his Kentucky dishes as authentic as possible, Gerhardt will be packing his own ingredients, including Paddlefish caviar.

Limestone Restaurant is at 10001 Forest Green Blvd.

Corbett invades NYC

Recently, Louisville chef Dean Corbett (Equus, Jack's Lounge, Corbett's -- An American Place) cooked for an enthusiastic crowd at the James Beard House in New York City.

The menu was planned in advance, but "we had a couple little minor changes because we couldn't find the ingredients, even in New York City," Corbett said. "We had to use morel mushrooms for chanterelles and spicy arugula instead of dandelion greens. We took seven boxes with us." Some of the Kentucky ingredients he packed along included quail eggs, LaRue County lamb, herbs, tomato jam and produce.

Corbett and his crew started cooking at 9 a.m. and didn't stop until 10:30 p.m. He said it was a busy, hectic experience but worth every minute.

Of course the crew had a bit of fun, too, with cocktails in the famous Rainbow Room and a 13-course dinner at New York's Eleven Madison Park restaurant, which Corbett says is "arguably one of the finest meals I've ever had in my life."

Wining on Wednesdays

Ready to celebrate over-the-hump day on Wednesday? Wine Wednesdays are the way to go, with half-price bottles of wine at Cafe Lou Lou with the purchase of an entree. If you find yourself downtown instead, head over to Artemisia where you can get 30 percent off bottles of wine every Wednesday.